What Really Is Bipolar Disorder?

Mood swings. We see them everyday, whether it is reacting to scenes in a movie, or younger siblings fake crying to get what they want, or maybe even you find your own feelings all over the place sometimes. These scenarios are harmless, but what about on a more menacing scale? Bipolar Personality Disorder (BPD), a mental illness which affects growing kids around the world, has often been described as mood swings on a much more pernicious level.

Bipolar Disorder, also known as Manic Depression, is a severe mental illness which causes patients to go into states of extreme highs and lows. Along with these “mood swings” also come changes in sleep, thinking, and behavior (WebMD).

Unfortunately, the mediocrity behind mood swings poses a threat to those suffering with BPD. The number one myth behind BPD is that sensitive people need a reason to explain their mood swings that everyone has. According to the article, Bipolar Disorder by Healthline, these are the most common myths that revolve around BPD:

1. Bipolar is rare

2. Diet and Exercise can cure Bipolar

3. Manic states are productive since patients are productive and fun

4. Treatment for Bipolar in the form of pills is harmful and causes patients to lose their creative abilities

As shown in the statistics above, bipolar disorder certainly is not rare in kids and adults. Millions of people agonize because of it around the world. I will be going into the specifics of symptoms and treatments later, but how did these myths form in the first place??

Well, cultural judgement and bias plays a huge role. The culture of the patient not only partially accounts for the success of the treatment, but also if the patient even gets diagnosed. For example, Asian patients may report their somatic (physical) symptoms, but fail to talk about their emotions (Mental Health: Culture, Race, and Ethnicity: A Supplement to Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General). Furthermore, in ancient Egyptian, Indian, Greek, and Roman writings, it is made clear that mental illnesses like bipolar were seen as religious punishment, leading patients to be treated atrociously.

This history behind cultures and narratives revolving around bipolar causes these myths to form and prevents patients from receiving a proper diagnosis and a chance to save themselves from being overtaken by the illness. It is important that we fight for those with bipolar disease with all these misconceptions floating around.

Auspiciously, many cultures have evolved, and bipolar disorder has been carefully evaluated. This deliberation has allowed BPD to be classified with specific symptoms and treatments:

Like the video mentioned, counseling and therapy are additive to medication, which is mandatory in bipolar treatment. According to the Mayo Clinic, here are some of the medications prescribed:

• Mood Stabilizers: Lithium, Valproic Acid, Divalproex Sodium, Carbamazpeine, or Lamotrigine

• Antipsychotics: Olanzapine, Risperidone, Quetiapine, Aripiprazole, Ziprasidone, Lurasidone, or Asenapine

• Antidepressants: Used sparingly because these can trigger manic episodes

• Anti-anxiety medication: Benzodiazepines

The mix of therapy and medication is used to battle a variety of mental disorders. However, patients diagnosed with bipolar are prone to harming themselves and others especially in manic states, so medication must be used rigorously and strictly to prevent this.

Going back to the cultural bias and destructive myths, these treatments cannot be put in place if a diagnosis can’t be made. As a pediatrician, I will have to look out for symptoms and have tough conversations with patients and parents. These families with diverse cultural backgrounds may be very resistant to any diagnosis. In the face of a predicament like this, I would present bipolar brain scans to show the somatic differences to rule out any spiritual interference. I would also emphasize the dangerous and even fatal symptoms in order to shift their mindsets and open a new perspective.

That being said, the video and the information I presented are in no shape or form a proper evaluation. Please don’t self-diagnose or proclaim that you have bipolar, as that can be hurtful to people who actually are suffering. If you do notice symptoms and feel like you need help, please visit your doctor as soon as possible.

Till next time,

Nancy

Works Cited

“Bipolar Disorder.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 16 Feb. 2021, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bipolar-disorder/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20355961.

“Bipolar Disorder: Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment.” WebMD, WebMD, www.webmd.com/bipolar-disorder/mental-health-bipolar-disorder.

“Bipolar Disorder: Symptoms and Treatment.” Performance by Thomas Kuhn, HollandHospital, YouTube, 15 Aug. 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yF9WCFIv3c.

Office of the Surgeon General (US). “Chapter 2 Culture Counts: The Influence of Culture and Society on Mental Health.” Mental Health: Culture, Race, and Ethnicity: A Supplement to Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General., U.S. National Library of Medicine, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK44249/.

Robinson, Mara. “Please Stop Believing These 8 Harmful Bipolar Disorder Myths.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 6 Nov. 2019, www.healthline.com/health/8-harmful-bipolar-disorder-myths-you-need-to-stop-believing#8.-Myth:-All-medications-for-bipolar-disorder-are-the-same.-.

“Unite for Sight.” A Brief History of Mental Illness and the U.S. Mental Health Care System, www.uniteforsight.org/mental-health/module2.

** cover art by Abigail Southworth